The first period had begun after the Civil War, when blacks entered the professional stage. Black performers were originally mostly put into a bad light. Originally, slaves were used to act as entertainment. The Afro-American was introduced to the American stage in 1769 in the play The Padlock. It wasn’t until 1776 that John Leacock’s play The Fall of British Tyranny. The African Grove Theatre began in 1821, yet faced extreme scrutiny. In 1853 the National Theatre announced a special section in the theatre for black audiences. The Minstrelsy could be called the “embryonic force” behind the rip-off of black art in America. It wouldn’t be until 1865 that black minstrel troupes began to appear with recognition. Will Marion Cook was well known for his music and writings of over 12 musicals for black shows. In the 1900s, black theatre started to pick up more: musicals opened up (Rang Tang, Keep Shuffling, Hot Chocolates). From 1914 to 1930 Harlem saw more theatrical activity at any other time until the 1960s.Langston Hughes became an influential black writer during the time. The American Negro Theatre (ANT) was the biggest hit in the 1940s. The Civil Rights Movement played a major part in the Afro-American theatre: inspiring/motivating through theatre from the riots, sit-ins, and protests that moved them. To a certain extent, yes, Fires in the Mirror is a black theatre play. It includes a culture that reflects on the African American history and struggles they faced and still face to this day. On the other hand, because of the diversity Anna Deavere Smith is trying to display, I don’t think that this play can be considered black theatre. There are plenty of elements, but it the whole purpose of it is to show different communities and opinions.